NIGHTINGALES NURSES AT THE 2007 ALTRIA/PHILLIP MORRIS SHAREHOLDERS MEETING IN NEW JERSEY

THE NIGHTINGALES CAMPAIGN TO END TOBACCO MARKETING

Tobacco companies claim to be socially responsible. They give money for all kinds of good causes, from battered women's shelters to social organizations to arts groups. At Altria/Philip Morris, the nation's largest tobacco company, these initiatives are all part of a carefully executed plan which was developed more than ten years ago—a corporate makeover. (But—unfortunately—the transformation is really only on the surface).

Is it socially responsible to continue active marketing of products that continue to addict and kill 440,000 people yearly in this country alone?

Nightingales nurses say no.

2006

The Nightingales call upon tobacco companies to VOLUNTARILY do the socially responsible thing—the genuinely socially responsible thing—and develop plans to end active marketing and promotion of these deadly products.

The Nightingales also support Canadian-style graphic health warnings on cigarette packages, which would represent a truthful approach to packaging, and a more limited distribution system for sales of cigarettes, which should not be available at the counter in stores everywhere.

The tobacco industry's own survey reports show that the public is overwhelmingly in favor of ending advertising of deadly cigarettes.

2006

The Nightingales also support transforming the tobacco industry through government policies that would tie profits to decreased consumption.

WHY FOCUS ON THE TOBACCO COMPANIES? WHY NOT GET THE GOVERNMENT TO OUTLAW CIGARETTE ADVERTISING?

The U.S. Supreme Court has held in previous rulings that corporate advertising is protected as free speech. Any attempt to ban advertising would be immediately challenged in court on these grounds. Thus it is unlikely that legislation or regulations could outlaw all tobacco advertising, short of amending the Constitution. This would be highly unlikely in reference to a specific industry.

WHY NOT CALL FOR A BAN ON ALL TOBACCO SALES?

The tobacco industry has for years called public health advocates prohibitionists and alluded to earlier attempts to ban alcohol, which led to smuggling, illegal sales, and increased attractiveness of an illicit substance. Banning tobacco altogether would also criminalize addicted smokers. The Nightingales believe de-glamorizing and denormalizing tobacco use is a more effective strategy. Ending all active promotion would represent true social responsibility on the part of the industry.

2005

WHY SHOULD TOBACCO COMPANIES VOLUNTARILY END MARKETING, WHEN THEY ARE MAKING BILLIONS OF DOLLARS?

The tobacco industry has difficulty keeping excellent employees because of the stigma attached to working for merchants of death. They are also one of the least respected industries and enormous sums of money must be spent attempting to attain even slight improvements in public image. However, since the public already strongly supports ending cigarette advertising, the public goodwill that would be generated by such an unprecedented move could be worth a fortune. Ending active marketing would simply acknowledge what the industry claims: that it has genuinely changed and is prepared to work to align with societal expectations of what being a responsible corporation means. This single action would reduce the industry's legal liability, create an enormous reservoir of goodwill, and create opportunities for developing other businesses and products that do not kill.

Speaking with reporter at Reynolds, 2006

WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE THAT MARKETING ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTES TO SMOKING? WILL ENDING MARKETING ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING?

A large body of evidence—again, except for that funded secretly by the tobacco industry—suggests that marketing plays a major role in shaping consumers self-image, uptake of product use, and normalizing product use through the constant presence of brands and positive images. Marketing reinforces the habit for smokers who may be thinking about quitting. Marketing also suggests that cigarettes are like other consumer products. They are not. No other consumer product, used as intended by the manufacturer, kills 440,000 Americans every year. Voluntarily ending active marketing will end the propagation of deceptive messages that suggest cigarettes are associated with health, youth, vigor, nature, coolness, sexiness, and wealth. They are not. The things more accurately associated with cigarettes are sickness, suffering, weakness, thousands of toxic chemicals, environmental destruction, exploitation, poverty, and premature death.

Philip Morris 2007

WHAT YOU CAN DO

CONDUCT A PUBLIC READING of letters from the industrys secret files, all sent to tobacco companies from dying customers and their grieving families. These letters provide powerful testimony from smokers themselves to build support for strong tobacco control policies and bring pressure on the tobacco industry. See Letters.

BUY A SHARE of tobacco company stock and WRITE A SHAREHOLDER LETTER to the company as a concerned shareholder. For a low-cost way to buy one share, see http://www.sharebuilder.com, contact your stockbroker, or contact us. Please let us know if you buy a share.
See sample shareholder letter

SEND A LETTER TO BIG TOBACCO AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. Tell Altria what real social responsibility means. Please let us know if you send a letter. Sample letter

SEND A LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER. If you see a story about tobacco, or hear about Altria funding some good cause, write a letter and challenge the company to demonstrate genuine social responsibility by ending marketing of these deadly products. Use our sample letter and add your own perspective and reference to a local story or event. Keep it short and pithy for the best chance of publication. Please let us know if you have a letter published. Sample letter to the editor

ENCOURAGE ORGANIZATIONS TO CONSIDER THE TRUE COST OF ACCEPTING FUNDING FROM TOBACCO COMPANIES AND THEIR PARENT COMPANIES. If you are a member of a group considering acceptance of such a contribution, you can highlight the ways this buys legitimacy for the industry—and often silence—on tobacco issues from the groups who become hooked on tobacco money.

GIVE A TALK ON THE ISSUE. (important: click and hold the following link, then 'save to disk')
download a PowerPoint slide show and talking points

ENCOURAGE YOUR PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO ENDORSE THE CAMPAIGN and get involved on tobacco. We will be developing a packet of materials to help you bring this issue to professional groups, many of whom are already thinking about tobacco cessation because of the Tobacco Free Nurses effort. This campaign complements these efforts by highlighting the role of industry activities in creating the tobacco epidemic.

HELP SMOKERS QUIT: Refer them to 1-800-NO-BUTTS, or call the Quitline number in your state.

JOIN the Nightingales: Contact us